CHAPTER 67: MIKE AND SAM
CHICAGO:
The night Sam attacked Mike, he couldn’t fall asleep. He tossed from one end of his bed to the other feeling guilty and ashamed. He felt terrible and couldn’t stop regretting over what he did and the long lasting torturous impression he must have inflicted on Emma. What must Emma be thinking? he wondered. In a bid to prevent Mike from presenting him to her as a maniac, he had revealed to her, a part of him which he was trying to protect. He quickly got out of bed, pulled a bottle of Vodka from his bar in the living room and crashed on his couch. He was a mess at that moment and he knew it but what was he to do? The next day, he woke up to an empty bottle of Vodka with his head banging and he was having blurred visions. He drank too much last night; he knew it. He staggered upstairs and managed to take a shower. With a towel around his waist, he fell on his bed dialing Emma’s number. He called her severally but she wasn’t picking. He was aware she was ignoring him because he had been tailing her few days ago. He knew she had secured a job at the restaurant down her street and her shift was not now till 4pm. He had a strong conviction she was close to the phone and didn’t answer his calls intentionally.
‘I am deeply sorry Emma. ‘ he texted her. ‘I didn’t intend to hurt you. ‘ he texted again. ‘Can we please talk? ‘ he asked her via a text but there was no reply from Emma. He felt weak and let out a loud groan. He suddenly felt the need to bang his head on the wall or tear his room apart. Emma won’t like that he thought then laid on his bed staring at the chandelier looking defeated. He must see Emma at all cost he told himself but he knew he couldn’t show up at her place looking like a piece of shit with bloodshot eyes. He decided to sleep so he could wake up feeling more relaxed and then present himself before Emma. He pulled his pills from the drawer which he hadn’t taken in a long while and swallowed two capsules following them up with water. Soon, he was dozing off.
When Sam woke up from his slumber, it was past 6pm. He had slept for 5 hours and didn’t blink once. He felt more relaxed and was now ready to see Emma, so he showered again and dressed very smartly, gelling his jet black hair backwards He heaved a deep sigh and made his way to Emma’s home feeling a bit scared. She might send him away he thought but he needed to see her, to apologize to her and make things right. Sam knew the last time he felt concerned over someone who wasn’t his family was a long time ago and now Emma has opened that closed part of his heart. The thought of Emma nursing a grudge against him made him weak. He would never let that happen.
Sam kept pressing Emma’s doorbell but there was no reply. His attention then drifted to the door closely and he realized it was locked. He failed to notice that earlier. Emma wasn’t in. He sat in front of Emma’s apartment for over an hour hoping she will show up soon but Emma didn’t return. He decided to leave and try his luck the other day. As he made his way out of the premises, Mike approached him.
“What are you doing here? ” Mike said after hurrying towards him.
Sam looked at Mike and said nothing but Mike kept speaking.
“Stay away from her. ” he ordered Sam. “Who the hell do you think you are? ” Sam asked Mike, his voice loud.
“You can’t tell me who to say away from! ” Sam said still raising his voice at Mike.
“I know you care about Emma. ” Mike told him. “Please you need to protect her by staying far away from her. ” pleaded Mike.
“Oh shut the crap up Mike. ” retorted Sam. “You can’t just show up one day and teach me how to handle my affairs. ” he added.
“I am not meddling with your affairs Sam. I am just looking out for my friend Emma. ” Mike screamed back. “Look at what you did the other day? ” continued Mike. “You want to hurt her the more? ” growled Mike at Sam whose temper was raging but he was trying to maintain his cool.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
“Listen Mike. ” said Sam. “I wouldn’t hurt Emma. I didn’t mean to. What happened the other day was purely an accident. ” explained Sam.
“Are you sure it was just an accident Sam? ” yelled Mike. “What would have happened if she didn’t intervened. You would have assaulted me exactly the way you did with that hall monitor in high school huh? ” thundered Mike. Sam immediately felt the desire to punch Mike right in the face but he didn’t.
“I won’t stay away from Emma and that’s it. ” declared Sam. “Why don’t you keep being a good neighbor and stop dictating who Emma hangs around with” said Sam. “I am being a good friend Sam. That’s why I am protecting her from you. Can’t you protect her too? ” asked Mike.
“What are you saying Mike? ” asked Sam. “Leave her alone. Don’t show up up. Just let her be. ” replied Mike.
“I can’t. ” replied Sam swinging his head from left to right.
“I don’t care how you feel or what you will do about it but I am not staying away from Emma and that’s it.” said Sam on a final note and he began walking away.
“Sam. ” Mike called out to him and he turned around facing Mike. “Stay away from Emma else you will ruin her the way you ruined Natalie. ” Mike told Sam then left him standing there on the ground floor of the building with clenched fists
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